Israel French was a leader of the Hicksites at the time of the division of 1828.
French grew up in Maryland and married Deborah Phillips. His experiences with slavery in Maryland confirmed his opposition to the institution, and he moved to Ohio in 1812.
French initially settled on the edge of the village of Mount Pleasant. When the turmoil erupted around the doctrines of Elias Hicks, French studied the teachings of Hicks and compared them to the teachings of early Friends. French came to believe that his neighbor Elisha Bates was promoting a party spirit. French attended the meeting of Hicksites at the Updegraff School House in Mount Pleasant on Seventh Day prior to the opening of Ohio Yearly Meeting in 1828. At the opening of the yearly meeting, French was the person who stated that a new clerk should be appointed for the meeting, prompting the division.
After the division, French was a leading voice in Ohio YM (H). He served as the second men's yearly meeting clerk. He and Deborah moved to Concord in 1831 but a year later moved to Indiana YM (H). While there, French was one of the early Hicksites to propose the idea of ending the practice of recognizing spiritual gifts. He began to develop Progressive sentiments and was disowned by his meeting in 1846. Although he appealled, poor health prevented him from attending Indiana YM (H), and his disownment was sustained. He died soon thereafter.
Sources: EAQG 4: 146, 202; Anti-Slavery Bugle, 6/9/1848. |
